2. Field of the Invention
This invention includes the concept of an electrical spiral contactor, the required semiconductor inspecting equipment and a solder-ball-contact semiconductor or other electronic device that makes a spherical-ball type of electrical connection.
2. Prior Art
Due to the increasing demand of greater density and the need to improve the high performance of semiconductor integrated circuits (IC), IC package (hereinafter called xe2x80x9ca packagexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cpackagesxe2x80x9d) equipped with one ore more IC chips (hereinafter called xe2x80x9ca semiconductor devicexe2x80x9d) this innovative idea allows for an even more advanced development stage in various ways. One such method includes increasing the number of pins (greater density) due to the miniaturization (thinning down) of the actual contact area. Using this new technique to increase the density of input and output terminals, packages with pin-counts as high as 1000 pins can be achieved. Consequently, this new method (due to it""s reduced size) will also change the current lead line connection which is pulled from top and bottom or all quarters into a single bottom-only lead-line connection further reducing the total size of the package.
Thus if the complete bottom of a semiconductor device were lined with BGA (Ball Grid Array) contactors such that they would not be larger than the package itself, or a slightly different method CSP (Chip Size Package) which is a little larger than the actual semiconductor device itself, with the solder balls (instead of pins) aligned in a grid arrangement, the pitch interval can be reduced from 0.8 mm to 0.5 mm increasing density with the use of these solder balls.
Furthermore, solder probes are lighter, thinner and shorter than conventional probes allowing for further miniaturization and densification as well as improving electrical conductance, but to ensure such properties are adhered to, special inspection equipment specifically for such a new method is also required. Current semiconductor inspection equipment perform their electrical tests using a needle-like probe or a meter reader and physically contacting the outer electrode leads on semiconductor devices and passing an electrical current through each semiconductor device to measure it""s electrical properties. This method of semiconductor inspection is commonly referred to as wafer probing and is currently used to measure and confirm whether semiconductor devices functions per specification or not. Numerous devices are all embedded in a grid-pattern on the surface of a wafer and currently use a probe card which can contain up to several hundred or more individual probe needles which are capable of measuring one or multiple devices simultaneously, but as the complete wafer cannot be measured all at once due to the size of probe cards and also due to the miniaturization limitations with current probe card technology, this measurement must be repeated over and over moving the stage which the wafer rests to allow complete testing of all devices on the entire wafer.
However, when using the thinned-down super miniaturization and reduction in pitch of solder probes, a new problem in the precision and reliability of current inspection equipment arises due to the densification of solder balls technology.
Thus, just as prior inspection equipment technology was limited by the physical development limitations of such inspection equipment for that type of semiconductor technology, this new technology requires a new type of inspection equipment as the older technology is insufficient as it doesn""t support the densification which/solder balls require. Similarly, current measurement methods require contacting probe needles directly to the silicon leads which do cause damage to existing semiconductor devices sometimes damaging them or weakening their lifetime, but as solder balls are made of a softer metallic material, such hard contact with a probe needle will scratch the surface of the solder balls and or not make complete contact due to the spherical surface of the solder ball itself causing loss of the electrical properties thus rendering it outside of the specifications which it was originally designed to meet.
Therefore, the present invention is subject to provide a spiral contactor, semiconductor inspecting equipment (sockets, testing boards and probe cards) and electronic parts (mounting socket, mounting connector), these are capable for applying to miniature typed semiconductor device, package, super miniature bear chips and also wafer, for forming a current carry circuit without giving a defamation and a flaw on soft solder balls, for applying to densification of solder balls, and for carrying out a high reliable inspection by reasonable price.
As a method to solve said subject, a spiral contactor regarding to the present invention is a contactor to make an electric connection with as a semiconductor device or electric parts having solder balls, and said contactor is characterized as comprising a spiral probe seen as a spiral shape in top view which is deformable in response to the shape of this solder probe when contacting with said solder probe on an insulting substrate to make an electric connection with a said semiconductor device or electric parts.
A spiral probe regarding to the present invention is a flat shaped spiral in non-loading condition, however, when a solder ball of a semiconductor device or electrical parts pressed on a spiral probe, contact area is expanding into outside from center of a semiconductor probe, consequently a spiral portion is bent into concave to deform like embracing a ball. Compared with a point contact of conventional probe, a spiral probe can twine around a solder ball as screwing that causes a long and accurate contact as well as removing foreign matters by sliding action along a periphery of a solder probe even though there are adherence of foreign matters, consequently, a stable current-carrying contact can be secured that is highly reliable.
Besides, a spiral probe can get an accurate current-carrying since the corner of a spiral probe is sliding with being pressed to a periphery of solder ball and cut oxygen membrane on a periphery of a solder ball.
Furthermore, a spiral probe has a flexible compatibility with a variation in a diameter and sinking of solder balls due to twining. In addition, a spiral probe is flexibly acceptable for variation in positioning of vertical and horizontal direction of a solder probe.
According to the present invention, there is a spiral contactor wherein the insulting substrate is characterized as having said deformable structure by installing dents or through holes of bellow said spiral probes.
Said dents or through holes secure sufficient space under the condition that a sinking pressed by said solder ball does not affect the bends of said spiral probe.
According to the present invention, there is a spiral contactor further making said inner through hole as current-carry circuit of a vertical wiring method.
In the invention described, dispensing a copper plating to said inner-hole which is commonly called as through hole established in an insulating substrate to form a current-carry circuit by using this copper plating causes unnecessary parts for wiring on an insulating substrate. Furthermore allocating a spiral probe to an aperture can form a small space and efficient connecting circuit.
Applying to a densification of solder balls was difficult since a current-carry circuit by a conventional parallel wiring method required a space for connecting portion, wiring portion and so forth, however, for said vertical wiring method, applying to a densification of solder balls is easy due to a minimum space.
According to the present invention, there is a spiral contactor wherein one or a plurality of condensers are allocated to around said spiral probe, and said condenser is connected with said spiral probe.
In the present invention, as an electrical power supply source circuit, allocating a condenser (pascon) to around said spiral probe is efficiently useful for trouble shooting. Especially in power supply circuit to transact a rapid signal, when power reduction is occurred by a momentary consumption, this causes the situation which an electrical signal can not be accurately transmitted, however, this one become an efficient method to evade this situation, and momentarily applying to a voltage drop in a transacted circuit of rapid signal is practical. Besides as the method of allocating a condenser, penetrating through holes around a spiral probe into an insulating substrate to lay a condenser in said hole, or allocating a condenser to fix around a spiral probe can be acceptable.
According to the present invention, there is a spiral contactor wherein an elastic body or an elastic membrane is distributed to under said spiral probe.
Said elastic body or elastic membrane is the elastic body or membrane of a rubber, silicon, and a plastic system, and a gel system is also available, these purpose are to assist a spiral probe from below, to maintain an elastic force of a spiral probe and to secure an air tightness.
According to the present invention, there is a spiral contactor wherein a width of a spiral portion of said spiral probe has narrower one as approaching a top from a root. For example, like a fishing rod, the more approaching a top, the narrower a width is, this cause a bending stress to disperse. For restraining fracture, also a spiral probe is to restrain fracture by dispersing a bending stress through making more narrow width as approaching a top.
According to the present invention, there is a spiral contactor that comprises of establishing a guide-frame around said spiral probe allocated to said insulating substrate. In case of using as a socket or a probe card which is one of semiconductor devices, an accurate positioning of a solder ball for a spiral probe is required. As a guide function to make an adjustment of accurate positioning, dispensing a guide-frame can not only reduce a time to make an adjustment of positioning but also play a role of a stopper as restricting an indentation of a solder ball.
According to the present invention, there is a spiral contactor wherein a shape of said spiral probe allocated to said insulating substrate is subject to a convex.
Filling an elastic body into an established hole under said spiral probe and adding a dent on a connecting portion of back side of said insulating substrate makes the shape of a spiral probe a convex. A spiral contactor consists of this convex shaped spiral probe is efficient for contacting with a semiconductor having a flat shaped probe (bonding pad) different from a solder probe.
According to the present invention, there is a semiconductor inspection device by using a spiral contactor wherein loading a semiconductor device having solder balls as subject in a proper position of a semiconductor inspection device and equipping a sensor to detect a contact by a proper pressure.
Through a movement of the sensor imbedded in such as a socket of a semiconductor inspection device, it is possible to detect whether a semiconductor device is accurately loaded and contact by a proper pressure or not, consequently, these inventions allow setting the interval for gaining a contact by an appropriate pressure to practice for enhancing a work efficiency. Besides, though an optical proximity switch is used as a sensor, a substitute for this is available.
According to the present invention, there is a semiconductor inspection device with a spiral contactor having a sealant for adhering to said semiconductor device in an insulating substrate of a semiconductor inspection device.
Since an air tightness is secured by said sealant in an insulating substrate of a semiconductor inspection device and a contact can be maintained by a vacuum adsorption method to reduce a pressure by evacuating air in between said insulating substrate and said semiconductor device, the operation of attaching or detaching can be easily carried out.
A semiconductor inspection device regarding to the present invention may further comprise that a semiconductor device is loaded in an inspection device such as a socket or a probe card having a spiral probe, after positioning was over, reducing pressure in between a semiconductor device and a spiral probe cause a semiconductor device to be adsorbed into a spiral probe, furthermore, a solder ball of a semiconductor device presses and deforms a spiral probe in response to the shape of a solder ball for twining, consequently, an excellent current-carrying circuit in reliability of contact can be formed.
The method of this vacuum adsorption requires a hint of pressure reduction and causes both sides to be adsorbed with each other in a twinkle to practice well-balanced contact by a slight force as a whole.
A structurally simple shaped and reliable contactor can be formed. Moreover, a structure of an elastic membrane (shown in FIG. 14) has also a roll of a sealant for air tightness other than an auxiliary of a spiral probe.
According to the present invention, there is semiconductor inspection device using a spiral contactor that provides an air pressure detecting method to leases signals by detecting a decreasing air pressure which is yield by evacuating air in between an insulating substrate of said semiconductor inspection device and said semiconductor device.
As an air pressure detecting method of the present invention, a pressure sensor is appropriate. Since a sensor of an optical proximity switch is unnecessary due to the detection by pressure sensor, imbedding a sensor and electrical wiring are unnecessary, these cause a simplification on the insulating substrate.
According to the present invention, there is a semiconductor inspection device using a spiral contactor that comprises a method, in which a positioning of each semiconductor device and probe cards after dicing a wafer by a dicer is carried out under the condition of said dicing as it is.
As the inspection process using a conventional probe card, after carrying out an inspection at the stage of a wafer and dicing into individual chips for storing in a tray, one more inspection is carried out by a handler. The reason why double inspections are required in this way attributes to an occurrence of defects in dicing process. Therefore the present invention is to carry out an inspection only after dicing by omitting the stage of wafer to reduce from twice:inspection to once. The present invention is the probe card substitute to a conventional one.
According to the present invention, there is a semiconductor inspection device having said spiral contactor allocates a spiral contactor to both side of an insulating substrate.
A metal ball or a protruding spherical terminal having a function of xe2x80x9cmail connector xe2x80x9d which is one of electronic parts is set anytime on one side of the alternative contact to be connected. On the other side, a semiconductor device and so forth under inspections are loaded by turns to be inspected for an electronic characteristic.
According to of the present invention, there is electronic parts using said spiral contactor allocates a spiral contactor in one side or both side of an insulating substrate. The present invention may comprise a mounting socket or a mounting connector as electrical parts of another usage.
Now, Integrated circuit, condenser, resistor and so forth are densely mounted in an electrical circuit board of an electrical appliance represented a cellar phone which must be miniature, lightweight, tin typed and excellent in high frequency electric characteristic. Naturally, an electronic part to electrically connect with between two circuit boards is required to satisfy with dense and high frequency electric characteristic as well.
To improve a high frequency electric characteristic, the length for transmitting needs to be shortened, and a size reduction of socket portion and connector portion is efficient. By adopting a spiral contactor which is quite different from a conventional pin style, miniaturizing, lightening and thinning down in ⅕ is practical, and a high frequency electric characteristics can be largely improved as well as simple and easy connecting, and consist of a small amount of parts.
According to the present invention, there are electronic parts using said spiral contactor providing a spiral contactor in at least one side edge of a connector cable. The present invention is that electric parts using a spiral contactor are connected with at least one side of a electric part connected with a connector cable.
The manufacturing method of a spiral contactor regarding to the invention is the method, in which a spiral contactor consists of a plurality of aligned spiral probe to electrically connect with a semiconductor device or electric parts having solder balls is formed on the surface of a print wiring board, and characterized as having following process.
A process of forming a metallic membrane on the whole surface of said insulating substrate by installing a hole.
A process of filling elastic elastomer into said hole to remove concave and convex of elastomer by surface processing.
A process of forming a metallic membrane on the area at least where an elastomer is exposed in said hole.
A process of forming a spiral probe shaped membrane by etching on the surface of metallic membrane formed on said insulating substrate, and of forming a circular shaped membrane by etching on the bellow surface.
A process of forming a spiral probe by etching on the surface of said insulating substrate.
A process of forming a different kind of metallic membrane on the surface of said insulating substrate.
A process of forming a resist membrane on the surface of said insulating substrate and of forming a guide-frame by cover-lay processing.
In this way, by the manufacturing method adopting a photolithography, a spiral contactor in which a plurality of spiral probe aligned sophisticatedly, densely and in fine pitch can be produced on the print wiring board.
Besides, a cover-lay processing is the meaning of printing off and developing a resist membrane, and a cover-lay processing and etching are called as a photolithography technology.
The manufacturing method of a spiral contactor may include a method, in which a spiral contactor consists of a plurality of aligned spiral probe to electrically connect with a semiconductor device or electric parts having solder balls is formed on the surface of a print wiring board, and characterized as having following process.
A process of forming a metallic membrane on the surface of a metallic plate to form a resist membrane on that surface.
A masking process of exposing, printing and developing a pattern of a spiral probe on said resist membrane.
A process of dispensing a metallic membrane to an exposed metallic portion in said process.
A process of removing said resists membrane.
A process of reforming said resists membrane.
A process of forming a guide-frame by exposing said spiral probe to print off and develop said resist membrane.
A process of removing a metallic membrane by etching after peeling and removing said metallic plate.
A tackling process of allocating each spiral probe in an aperture of each through holes installed in said print board to crimp after a conductive adhesive or a hander paste is painted.
As guide-frame can be formed by a resist membrane, even though a metallic plate is peeled, the shape can be sustained without falling into pieces, this leads an improvement of quality.
By a manufacturing method adopting a photolithography technology, a spiral contactor in which a plurality of spiral probe aligned sophisticatedly, densely and in fine pitch can be produced on the print wiring board having infinitesimal through hole.
The manufacturing method of a spiral contactor may include a method, in which a spiral contactor consists of a plurality of aligned spiral probe to electrically connect with a semiconductor device or electronic parts having solder balls is formed on the surface of a print wiring board, and characterized as having following process.
A masking process of forming a resist membrane on the surface of a metallic membrane formed on an insulating substrate, moreover, of printing and developing a shape of spiral probe.
A process of forming a different kind of metallic membrane in the metallic portion exposed by said masking process.
A process of removing said resists membrane.
A process of removing said resists metallic membrane by etching.
A process of forming said insulating substrate into a shape of a spiral probe by laser to reform a resist membrane on the surface.
A process of forming metallic membrane on the surface of said insulating substrate to remove a resist membrane by forming a different kind of metallic membrane on the surface.
A tackling process of painting a conductive adhesive or hander paste on the surface having through hole of said print board to allocate and crimp a spiral contactor in an aperture of through hole.
Irradiating an insulating substrate consists of a polyamide with lasers allows a metal portion to leave a present statue as it is and form into a shape of a spiral probe. Moreover, by the manufacturing method adopting a photolithography technology, a spiral contactor in which a plurality of spiral probe aligned sophisticatedly, densely and in fine pitch can be produced on the both side of a print wiring board having through hall.
The manufacturing method of a spiral contactor may include a method, in which a spiral contactor consists of a plurality of aligned spiral probe to electrically connect with a semiconductor device or electric parts having solder balls is formed on the surface of a print wiring board, and characterized as having following process.
A process of forming a metallic membrane on the surface of a metallic membrane formed on that membrane on the surface of insulating substrate, furthermore, after forming a resist membrane, printing off and developing this membrane to form a shape of a spiral probe on said resist membrane.
A process of removing a metallic membrane by etching with leaving a shape of said spiral probe.
A process of removing said insulating substrate by lasers.
A process of reforming a resist membrane on the surface of said insulating substrate to reform a different kind of metallic membrane after forming a metallic membrane.
A process of reforming a metallic membrane by etching after removing said resists membrane.
In this way, even though a manufacturing method of not using a conductive adhesive or a hander paste, adopting a photolithography technology causes a spiral contactor in which a plurality of spiral probe aligned sophisticatedly, densely and in fine pitch to be produced on an insulating substrate having through holes.
The manufacturing method of a spiral contactor may include a method, in which a spiral contactor consists of a plurality of aligned spiral probe to electrically connect with a semiconductor device or electric parts having solder balls is formed on the surface of a print wiring board having a micro-via hole, and characterized as having following process.
A process of forming a metallic membrane on the surface of metallic plate to form a resist membrane on that metallic membrane.
A masking processes of exposing, printing off and developing a pattern of a spiral probe in said resist membrane.
A process of dispensing a metallic membrane in a metallic portion exposed in said process.
A process of removing said resist membrane.
A process of reforming said resists membrane.
A process of exposing said spiral probe, and printing off and developing said resist membrane.
A process of removing a metallic membrane by etching after peeling and removing said metallic plate.
A tackling process of painting a conductive adhesive or hander paste around an aperture of micro-via hole on the surface of said print wiring board to allocate and crimp a spiral probe to a position of micro-via hole.
In this way, by the manufacturing method adopting a photolithography technology, even though a print wiring board having a micro-via hole, a spiral contactor in which a plurality of spiral probe aligned sophisticatedly, densely and in fine pitch can be produced.